Review: Wishful Thinking

Wishful Thinking
by Kamy Wicoff

Synopsis

Jennifer Sharpe is a divorced mother of two with a problem just about any working parent can relate to: her boss expects her to work as though she doesn’t have children, and her children want her to care for them as though she doesn’t have a boss. But when, through a fateful coincidence, a brilliant physicist comes into possession of Jennifer’s phone and decides to play fairy godmother, installing a miraculous time-travel app called Wishful Thinking, Jennifer suddenly finds herself in possession of what seems like the answer to the impossible dream of having it all: an app that lets her be in more than one place at the same time. With the app, Jennifer goes quickly from zero to hero in every part of her life: she is super-worker, the last to leave her office every night; she is super-mom, the first to arrive at pickup every afternoon; and she even becomes super-girlfriend, dating a musician who thinks she has unlimited childcare and a flexible job. But Jennifer soon finds herself facing questions that adding more hours to her day can’t answer. Why does she feel busier and more harried than ever? Is she aging faster than everyone around her? How can she be a good worker, mother, and partner when she can’t be honest with anybody in her life? And most important, when choosing to be with your children, at work, or with your partner doesn’t involve sacrifice, do those choices lose their meaning? Wishful Thinking is a modern-day fairy tale in which one woman learns to overcome the challenges—and appreciate the joys—of living life in real time.

Review

This is a touching and whimsical story that gives the reader a look into what it would be like to be given a chance to be good in every area in your life. This happens in the form of an app that lets Jennifer, a divorced mother of two kids, be in more than one place at a time. The story runs smoothly and is so entertaining while at the same time being heart-felt and thought-provoking. I am not a parent, but what I took from this story is how important the intention to be mindful is. The importance of living the moment and doing the most you can with it - to really enjoy and not just hurry through a series of responsibilities every day.